PhD Research Fellowship in Games and Interactive Digital Narratives, Center for Digital Narrative

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society UiB shall be among Europe's leading universities, internationally recognized for high quality in research and education. As a societal institution, we shall contribute to sustainable and democratic development and be an attractive and inclusive place to study and work. Video: https://youtu.be/i4SDcLir6Oc PhD Research Fellowship For its involvement in the Center for Digital Narrative, the Department of Information Science and Media Studies invites applications for a PhD position in game studies commencing February 1, 2027, or as agreed upon. The position is for a fixed-term period of three years. We are seeking a PhD fellow who will study games and interactive digital narratives from the player perspective, focusing on how players or player communities construct and make sense of games and interactive applications as narrative experiences through playful participation. Relevant approaches may combine player studies with game analysis and co-design, with attention to new areas of applied social research. About the department, the research center and research group The Department of Information Science and Media Studies is a multidisciplinary department at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Bergen, covering research on media and information technology from the social sciences, humanities, and computer science. This PhD position is located at the Center of Excellence in Digital Narrative (CDN), a world-leading center of research excellence funded by the Research Council of Norway. The center investigates emerging forms of digital narrative and how cultural contexts are reshaping their use and function. The PhD fellow will work in the research group Computer Games and Interactive Digital Narrative. The aim of the research group is to advance our understanding of how agency, interactivity, and play shape human experience of digital narratives. The research group focuses on how digital narratives function in games by studying new narrative structures and player experiences, and is attentive towards narratives not only as structures but as cognitive models of sensemaking, including questions of how player communities experience stories and how they may use stories for making sense of games and game culture. Candidates are advised to familiarize themselves with the Center of Digital Narrative research areas, as described on the center website. About the PhD position and the research training: The main purpose of the PhD position is to complete a doctoral degree, which qualifies for independent research and other forms of employment that demand specific competency. The duration of the PhD position is three years. As a PhD candidate, you must participate in the Faculty of Social Sciences’ educational programme . The PhD programme comprises a training component corresponding to 30 ECTS, amounting to one semester. In total, this means that 2.5 out of four years are allocated to working on the research project itself. Qualifications and personal qualities: - The applicant must hold a Norwegian master’s degree or the equivalent foreign degree in game studies, digital culture, media studies, or related field. It is a condition of employment that the master’s degree has been awarded by the application deadline. To be eligible for admission you must normally have an educational background corresponding to a master’s degree with a scope of 120 ECTS credits, which builds on a bachelor’s degree with a scope of 180 ECTS credits (normally 2 + 3 years), or an integrated master’s degree with a scope of 300 ECTS credits (5 years). Master’s degrees must normally include an independent work of a minimum of 30 ECTS credits. Applicants who document a foreign degree will be evaluated according to the regulations of the HKdir and The Faculty of the Social Sciences’ PhD Programme plan. - The requirements are generally a grade B or better on the Master thesis and for the master's degree in total - The applicant must be able to work independently in a well-structured manner and have strong cooperation skills. - The applicant must be proficient in both written and oral English. Experience in any of the following areas is advantageous: - Academic research in game studies and/or digital narratives in the MA thesis. - Past publication of research or research communication. - Use of relevant game studies methods. Applicants will be evaluated according to admission requirements in The Faculty of Social Sciences' PhD Program . Applicants must submit a proposal for a research project that will result in a doctoral dissertation, as well as a progress plan for the project. Admittance to the PhD programme will be based on the research proposal. The faculty has prepared a guide for writing project descriptions. In assessing the applications, the academic quality and feasibility of the proposed PhD project and the academic qualifications of the candidate will be considered. Further emphasis is placed on strategic considerations, motivation, and the applicant's personal eligibility. We can offer: - A stimulating and professionally challenging work environment. - Salary of NOK 593 700, - following ordinary meriting regulations. Automatic salary increases for up to 4 years with a 3% annual increase. - Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund - A position in an inclusive workplace (IA enterprise) - Good welfare benefits How to apply for the job: Apply electronically via the link "APPLY FOR THIS JOB". Applicants are required to use the electronic CV form. The application must include: - A project proposal of up to five pages/12.000 characters, when bibliography is not included. The project proposal should describe the research project, including research background, main research questions, theory, method, etc. Any use of generative language models in the development of the proposal must be acknowledged. - Bibliography for the prop